Spiritual Practices

The lifestyle that characterized Jesus was a life immersed in, what ancients and contemporaries have labeled, the Spiritual Practices. Everyday he would be alone with the Father. Regularly he fasted. He prayed far into the night, until every other best-intentioned-disciple had fallen asleep. If we want to “Do what Jesus would do” we’re convinced we must “Do what Jesus was doing.”

These are the Spiritual Practices.

You're Invited

We believe that the spiritual practices are invitations to live life the way it was meant to be lived. By engaging in practices that guide our life patterns we begin to understand by experiencing the freedom found in living like Jesus. Jesus has a way to live that isn’t gripped with hurry, a way to live that isn’t over-run by stress, a way to find meaningful connection with Him and others, a way to live that isn’t defined by what we own, a way to live that is overflowing with peace. It’s the antidote to stress, hurry, disconnection and the perpetual need for more. He welcomes us into this better way of life and we can only know it by doing it.

Over the coming weeks and months we are going to practice together the ancient spiritual ways of life that have been guiding Christians for generations. Our hope is that we will not be educating you but instead inviting you into practicing a different way, a way that leads to fullness of life. We will do this through a series of podcasts around each practice. We’ll begin with prayer and then dive into things like scripture, sabbath, solitude and silence, simplicity, and more. Our hope as a church is that you’d step into them.

Spiritual practices are not something that only pastors and spiritual elites engage in. They are for you, because in them you will find the life that is truly life. They’re also not an end into themselves, they are not the goal we aspire to. Instead we believe they are a pathway that leads to inner spiritual righteousness, the road to experience God’s presence increasingly more, and an invitation for His grace, mercy and love to change us from the inside out. The reason we pursue living the way Jesus lived is because he’s offered a way for us to know life in Christ as it was intended.

Before You Begin

Our first podcast will be a space for you to listen to our own understanding and wrestling with the spiritual practices as we join you in the ways of Jesus.

Before you begin…

First ask yourselves, do you have a longing for more? Maybe you think you’d love more of Christ, you’d love to be more righteous with your anger, your greed, your apathy, your insecurity or lack of self-control. Maybe you feel hurried, maxed out, stressed, or gripped with anxiety. Maybe you have little capacity to be still and even less capacity to pray. Maybe you feel distant but want more. Friend, just wanting more is a sign of God’s work in your life already.

Second, what do you want? Jesus, all-knowing as He is, would regularly come up to people in obvious need (a poor person, someone who couldn’t walk, another who was blind) and would ask them, almost annoyingly, “What is it you want?” Consider why he asked them. Was it because he didn’t know? Or because they hadn’t told him? Both of those are quickly proven wrong. He asked because He wanted the person He was ministering to to really get to the bottom of their desires. To the depth of what they wanted. To the core of what you want.

So as you prepare to step into these practices, ask yourself those two questions:

Do I long for more?

What is it I want?

Bring them to God in prayer. Listen to what He says. We look forward to practicing together!

Spiritual Practices Podcast

Listen along to the Spiritual Practices Podcast and join us as we explore the ways of Jesus together.